


Adjusting

by SpicyDinosaurAge



Series: The Legend of the Dragonborn [2]
Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Angst, Blood, Established Relationship, F/F, Family Reunions, Fluff, Sort Of, Vampires, Violence, but just to be safe, im tagging it at those bc it gets kinda gory in one spot, nothing too bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:47:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,930
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpicyDinosaurAge/pseuds/SpicyDinosaurAge
Summary: ~Interlude~The time has come for Kjona to come to terms with her new life. Serana helps as best she can.*Major spoilersif you haven't read the ending chapters ofIn the End, I'd Do It All Again*
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana
Series: The Legend of the Dragonborn [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718710
Comments: 6
Kudos: 45





	Adjusting

**Author's Note:**

> :D
> 
> This takes place a little over a week after the events of In the End, I'd Do It All Again. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you do. Cause yknow. Spoilers. 
> 
> (Not that it really matters but just to be safe)
> 
> Enjoy!

Waking when the sun was just beginning to rise was something Serana had grown used to during her travels with Kjona. Her once-mortal companion had a "normal" sleep schedule, as all other sun-needing beings did. She woke when the sun rose and fell asleep after the sun had set. 

Now, though... It was strange for Serana to wake during the night. The moon shone through the small window in Kjona's room. 

Today was the day. Kjona needed to learn how to actually feed from someone if she wanted to continue being a vampire. She couldn't rely on potions of blood. 

Serana had offered plenty of chances for Kjona to become mortal again, but each time, Kjona had turned her down. She wanted to try vampirism first, see if she could really get used to living as one of the undead. If she couldn't, they would find a cure for her. 

Serana smiled and turned in Kjona's arms. Her companion - partner? - was sleeping soundly, her arms tight around Serana. 

Serana already knew Kjona likely wouldn't be comfortable with what she had to do. But she would need to get used to it if she wanted to continue being a vampire. 

It was better they do it now, anyway. Kjona was a new vampire, and she would be a little harder to control. She was more susceptible to Blood Lust, a brief condition that made newly turned vampires go into a frenzy. Strangely, it _only_ affected new vampires. 

Neither of them wanted that to happen, obviously. But the longer they waited, the more likely it was that Kjona would go into Blood Lust. And from there, she would be unpredictable and could be deadly to anyone around her. 

Drinking blood at least every few days prevented that from happening. But Kjona hadn't drank any blood since they were last at Castle Volkihar, and that had been over a week ago. 

Serana gently put her hand on Kjona's jaw and leaned up to kiss her forehead. Kjona, in turn, made a noise similar to a whine and leaned further into Serana, tucking her head under Serana's chin. 

"Kjona?" Serana asked quietly. "You need to get up. We need to leave soon."

Vampires didn't actually need sleep, but sometimes it was nice to rest and pass time that way. Kjona was likely sleeping more out of habit than anything else. 

Kjona grumbled and rolled away, onto her back. She disentangled her arms. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open. Her voice was rough when she spoke. "Hm? What's today?"

Serana sat up in the bed, running a hand through her hair. "The day you officially see what it's like to be a vampire."

Kjona was definitely awake now. She groaned and threw an arm over her eyes. "Gods, I don't want to do that today."

"You know you have to. We don't want you to become a blood-starved vampire. The possibilities of what could happen if that came true are endless. But either way, I'm sure you don't want any of it to happen."

Kjona pouted. "No."

"Great." Serana grinned and pressed her lips against Kjona's temple. She stood. "Come on. We should get this done before the sun rises."

Kjona slowly climbed out of the bed, swaying slightly. She sluggishly moved to put on her Nightingale armor and weapons. 

_She's already feeling the effects of not feeding,_ Serana thought with a frown. _We need to find someone soon._

Kjona rolled her neck. "Lucia won't be back until this evening. She's out with Mjoll, training to use a bow."

That's right. Kjona had sent a letter a few days before they left for Riften, asking Mjoll to take Lucia out of the city for a little while. Which meant Kjona still hadn't seen Lucia since she had been turned. She was afraid of what her daughter would say, and was using this time to figure it all out. 

"I assume you know where to go?" Kjona asked. "I don't know where we could find someone willing to let a vampire feed from them."

Serana grinned. "Well, there's always bandits. No one likes having them around, anyway, so if you go into Blood Lust, you won't really be doing any damage to society."

Kjona nodded. "That's fine with me. I hate those bastards anyway."

Even though Laura had been killed weeks ago, Kjona was still hurting from it. She was still bitter with what had happened all those years ago, even if she claimed it didn't bother her. 

She hated bandits, and that was likely to never change. 

"Come on," Serana said quietly as she made her way out of the room. "I'll show you where I want to go."

* * *

Despite being a vampire and being around other vampires for centuries, Serana didn't know if she would ever get used to Kjona's eyes. She still became startled when she saw the glowing orange of Kjona's eyes instead of the gold she had become so used to. 

She still felt immense guilt at what she had done to Kjona. It was a selfish decision, there was nothing else to it. She had turned Kjona because she couldn't bear to be without her, even though she knew how Kjona felt about vampires. 

It didn't matter how much Kjona assured her that she was okay with the decision. It didn't matter that Kjona was clearly grateful to still be alive. 

She had still gone against Kjona's wishes. 

"Careful," Kjona murmured as she wrapped her arm around Serana's waist, stopping her from walking over the ledge of the path they were on. "Are you all right?"

Serana paused. The only place she had heard where bandits could be was up in the mountains, a little way away from Riften. They were currently up in one of said mountains, on a thin path. 

"I'm fine," Serana said as she stepped out of Kjona's grasp. She continued up the path, Kjona following close behind her. 

"You know, if something's bothering you-"

"I said I'm fine," Serana snapped. She immediately regretted her words when Kjona took a step back, her eyes wide. She looked like a reprimanded puppy. "I'm sorry. I just... I still feel guilty for this whole thing."

Kjona tilted her head to the side slightly. "How many times have I told you that I'm perfectly okay with how things turned out?"

Serana rolled her eyes. Kjona had a strange ability where she could almost always tell when something was bothering Serana. Lately, she seemed to know exactly what had been bothering her, and had been reassuring her as best she could. 

"Serana, trust me. If I wasn't okay with being turned, I would have found a cure already. I certainly wouldn't be walking up a cold as fuck mountain just to feed from some bandits."

Serana sighed and bowed her head slightly. "I know, I know. I can't help it, all right?"

Kjona gently grasped her wrist. Serana stopped and turned halfway to face Kjona. "What can I do to make it easier to bear this?"

Serana leaned her head on Kjona's shoulder. "Nothing. It'll pass soon, I'm sure."

But as Serana turned away and walked again, she knew this wouldn't pass anytime soon. She had been the reason Kjona had even died in the first place. That kind of guilt wasn't something that just went away.

"We're here," Serana said quietly. She moved to crouch behind a boulder. She scanned the bandit camp. "Looks like there's only one awake."

Kjona was beside her. "You want me to feed from him first?"

Serana nodded. "You're sneaky enough. You could get to him undetected."

"That's great and all," Kjona said, "but I have no idea how to feed from someone."

Serana's eyes widened slightly. "Oh. That's right. You weren't conscious when I turned you. Hm." She bit the inside of her cheek. "I'll explain this as best as I can. You're going to want to extend your fangs- open your mouth." Kjona obliged. "They aren't protruding. Are you able to make your fangs come out?"

Kjona shook her head _no_. 

Serana said, "Try. It's not hard when you get the hang of it. Just _think_ really hard about it for a moment."

Kjona rolled her eyes, but she seemed to do as Serana asked. Her brow was furrowed in concentration. A few moments later, her fangs began to extend. 

Serana grinned. "There you go. They won't go away unless you will them to. Now. You're going to want to go for the left side of the neck to get the most blood. Use your fangs to pierce the skin, and just sort of... suck the blood from there."

Kjona looked slightly offended. "You mean to tell me your fangs don't get the blood for you?"

"No." Serana shook her head and peeked over the boulder. "You'll still have to taste blood."

Kjona frowned. "That sucks."

"You're such a baby sometimes, do you know that?" Serana asked in a joking tone. "If being a vampire is something you really want, then you'll just have to get used to drinking blood."

That only made Kjona pout more. She looked over at the bandit, who was now yawning into his hand. "How do I know I won't turn him?"

Serana snorted. "You won't. Turning someone requires them dying of blood loss and drinking vampiric blood. So, unless you're planning on giving him some of your blood, I'd say you'll be fine." 

Kjona nodded. "I've got this," she said, mostly to herself. She stood fully. "Stop me if I get out of control, please."

Truth be told, Serana was a little nervous about the whole ordeal. That uneasiness sat uncomfortably in her stomach as she watched Kjona sneak up to the bandit. 

Fresh blood could be addicting if too much was consumed at one time. It was another way to go into Blood Lust. Blood that had been sitting around for a while would keep a vampire alive, but it didn't have the same effects as fresh blood. 

Serana was more afraid of what would happen if Kjona went into Blood Lust here. 

The bandit only seemed to notice Kjona at the last moment. He turned and moved to draw his sword, only to be stopped by Kjona grabbing his face. 

She hesitated for just a second. Kjona shook her head slightly before her fangs plunged into the neck of the bandit. 

The bandit let out a quiet cry. "Monster-!"

It took only a moment for the bandit's knees to give out. He fell to the ground, startling Kjona. She hadn't been holding him correctly to catch him as he fell. Her fangs ripped out of the bandit's neck, slicing more than they should have. The man pressed a hand to the wound on his neck, blood seeping through his fingers. 

Kjona held a hand to her mouth. Blood dripped down her chin as she stared at the bandit in horror. 

Serana stood from where she had been crouched behind the rock. "Kjona-"

Kjona removed the hand from her mouth. Something seemed to change in her eyes as she did so. She grinned, licking the liquid off her lips.

Serana paused. Was Kjona... _enjoying_ this?

Several of the other bandits had woken when the first one had yelled. Kjona made her way over to them, her mouth curled in a snarl. 

_Oh, shit._

Serana moved as quickly as she could, but she could still do nothing as Kjona used her new speed to tear into the bandits. If Kjona had been mortal, Serana could have stopped her in seconds. But by the time she made it to the bandits, only one of them was alive. She scrambled away from Kjona until she could go no further, pressed against a rock. 

Serana grabbed Kjona, wrapping her arms around Kjona's chest. Kjona paused, but soon after, she began thrashing in Serana's arms, inhuman noises coming from her throat. 

"Kjona, stop!" Serana shouted. "It's finished! Snap out of it!"

That seemed to get Kjona's attention. She stopped thrashing, her breathing heavy. Then, all at once, Kjona seemed to snap back into her body. 

As soon as Serana released her, Kjona stumbled away, her eyes wide. She fell to the ground not long after, using her hands to push herself away from the gruesome scene in front of her. 

The lone bandit got up and ran. Serana didn't even bother going after her.

Serana made her way to Kjona, crouching in front of her. Kjona was shaking, her eyes unseeing. 

"Kjona, it's all right," Serana said soothingly. "You just-"

"I _mauled_ them," Kjona whispered. "I-I don't... What did I _do_?"

Serana took a deep breath. "This is what I was afraid of. You went into Blood Lust. It's not something you can control. You don't have to feel bad about it. It was just your vampiric side clouding your senses for more blood."

Kjona looked away from the scene. "Will it... How do we stop it from happening again?"

Serana shook her head. "There's no guarantee. It should only take another week or two before you can no longer go into that state. Until then... we should probably stick to potions of blood. I don't want you going through this again."

"Until you started yelling at me, I had no idea what was happening. It was like one second, that bandit was falling to the floor, and the next, your arms were wrapped around me and you were yelling at me."

Serana nodded. "That's usually how it goes. You couldn't have controlled what happened even if you tried." She gently touched Kjona's shoulder. "It wasn't your fault, all right?"

Kjona took a deep breath. "Am I safe to be around?"

Serana smiled. "You're fine. The fact that you're not trying to drink _my_ blood says something, doesn't it?" When Kjona still looked uneasy, Serana said, "I'm impressed by your ability to move so fast, by the way. We hadn't even trained that ability yet."

Kjona's shoulders relaxed a fraction. She gave a small smile. "I'll only get better from here."

Serana leaned forward, pressing her lips against Kjona's forehead. "You're right, there. It'll take some time to get control of this. Until then... I'll just have to watch over you and make sure I help you where you need it."

Kjona nodded. "I appreciate it. By the looks of it, I'll need it." She stood with Serana's help. "So. What do we do now?"

* * *

It was true that nobody would have cared about the bandits being killed. Nearly everyone thought they were a nuisance, and one that they needed to be rid of.

Still. Serana could see that Kjona still felt awful for what she had done while she had been in Blood Lust. She was silent, save for her usual remarks about Skyrim. Her fingers were anxiously moving together in front of her. 

She could have just been anxious about going to see Lucia again, Serana supposed. After a long day of training, they were now headed back to Riften. The sun was just beginning to set over the mountains. 

Kjona was adapting well to her new powers, surprisingly. Serana assumed it would take her some time to adjust, but she was doing fine. Maybe it was because she was actually _listening_ to Serana. 

Kjona took a deep breath from beside Serana. "What if she hates me now?"

Serana shook her head. She knew this was coming. "Why would Lucia hate you? You're still her mother."

Kjona nodded nervously. "I-I know. But I'm not the same as the last time she saw me. I killed her other mother, Serana. I'm a vampire now. I left her for months. What could she possibly want to do with me now?"

"First of all," Serana said, looking at Kjona like she was an idiot, "she doesn't know you killed Laura. Only we do. And unless you plan on telling her, she'll never know what happened. Second, she seemed fine with me being a vampire, so why would she treat you any differently? And lastly... It's not like this is the first time you've left her for a while. I'm sure she'll be _thrilled_ to see you."

Kjona nodded again. She broke out in a small, clearly anxious smile. "You're right. We'll just see where this goes."

Serana put her hand on Kjona's lower back. "I promise, it'll be okay. You're nervous about nothing." 

Kjona was silent the rest of the walk to Riften, her jaw twitching every now and then. Serana kept her hand on Kjona's back. 

The guards let them in after nodding to Kjona. She gave them a curt nod back. 

"You'd think they'd recognize me as the Guildmaster," Kjona muttered. Her hood and mask were back up. "But, no matter. Less trouble for me."

Serana snorted. "Are you... not happy they don't recognize you?"

Kjona shrugged. "I am. I just went through a lot to become the Guildmaster. It would be nice if someone other than my guild _knew_ about it."

"If you want, I can go to the guards now and tell them your crimes."

Though Kjona's face was covered, Serana could almost feel the look of horror. "You wouldn't."

Serana grinned and turned away. She faced a guard that was walking by them. "Excuse me, good sir."

The guard stopped, and Serana ignored Kjona tugging on her arm. "What's the problem?"

"Come on, Serana," Kjona mumbled. 

"I was just wondering... Where would I find the tavern in Riften?"

Serana could almost feel Kjona sag in relief. The guard seemed to sigh as he pointed to a nearby building. "Right over there. The Bee and Barb." As he was walking away, Serana could have sworn she heard him scoff and mutter, "Newcomers."

Kjona pulled Serana along, toward the market. "That wasn't funny."

Serana was still grinning. "It was a little funny."

Kjona shook her head. She seemed like she was about to say something, but before she could, an unfamiliar voice called out, "Is that who I think it is?"

Kjona turned her head, pausing when she saw a man staring at them. "Brynjolf?"

The man in question was smiling wide as he walked over to them. "Kjona! I can't believe it's you, lass. Where have you been?"

Kjona stepped away from Serana briefly to embrace the man - Brynjolf. 

Serana vaguely remembered him. She felt like she had seen him at least once before. 

Kjona glanced back at Serana, stepping back to her side. "I've been off saving the world from vampiric domination with this lovely lady."

Brynjolf narrowed his eyes at Serana. "I remember you. You came here a while back, asking about Kjona."

Serana nodded. "And I'm glad you told me where she was. I couldn't have done any of it without her."

Brynjolf smiled curiously. "So, you two...?"

Serana felt heat rise to her cheeks. She didn't really know what to say, as they had never discussed whether or not they were an _item._ Apparently, Kjona didn't know what to say, either. 

But that seemed to be answer enough for Brynjolf. "Good," he said. "It's about time you moved on from Laura. I always had a bad feeling about her."

Kjona's voice was quiet as she said, "Did Laura ever come to Riften for Lucia?"

Brynjolf blinked. "What? No. I thought she was dead."

Kjona shook her head. "She is- was. She was alive, and she was working as an assassin for the Dark Brotherhood. She tried to take both Serana and me down, but... Well, she and several other people now know not to try to get in between us."

Brynjolf's eyes were wide. "What the hell happened to you out there?"

Kjona chuckled. "There's a lot I need to tell you." She looked around. "You're _sure_ Laura was never here to see Lucia?"

"I'm sure. Mjoll hasn't let the little bugger out of her sight. No way she would have let an assassin, of all things, near her."

That seemed to calm some of Kjona's anxieties. She began walking away. "I appreciate it, Brynjolf. We'll talk more later."

Brynjolf waved her away. "Don't be a stranger."

The sky was turning a beautiful shade of orange when they approached Kjona's home. Kjona hesitated before opening the door. 

"You really think she won't mind?"

Serana smiled. "Not when you have many interesting stories to tell her." She nudged Kjona's shoulder. "Go on. I'm right behind you."

Kjona took a deep breath and opened the door. Lucia was already inside, playing with a doll at the table. A woman was in the kitchen, telling some story to Lucia. 

"... is a brave warrior," the woman was saying. "It wouldn't surprise me if you turned out to be just like her."

Lucia smiled. "I want to-" She glanced over at the door, her eyes widening. "Mama!"

The woman in the kitchen turned, a smile forming when she saw who was standing there. 

Kjona stepped into the house more, crouching on one knee as Lucia ran at her. Lucia practically launched herself into Kjona, wrapping her arms around her neck and holding her tight. Were those tears in her eyes?

Kjona embraced her, likely just as tight. "I'm so sorry," she said, her voice thick with emotion. "I meant to come back sooner. Things just... happened."

Lucia leaned back. She reached to take off Kjona's hood, gasping when she saw the face underneath. "Mama?" she asked quietly. 

Serana noticed she hadn't moved away from Kjona. 

Kjona looked away and removed her mask. "I... Someone very bad hurt Serana and I," she said. "The only way to survive it, to come back to you... Serana turned me into one of her kind."

"A vampire?" the strange woman asked. She glared at Serana. "You _turned_ her?"

"Mjoll," Kjona snapped. "If I wasn't okay with it, I wouldn't still be one. Serana is the reason I'm even here right now."

Lucia looked over Kjona's shoulder while Mjoll and Kjona continued to bicker. She looked relieved. "You came back."

Serana blinked. _Is she talking to me?_

Lucia stepped out of Kjona's arms, causing the latter to pause and look at her as she walked over to Serana. She suddenly wrapped her arms around Serana's middle. 

Serana was frozen to the spot, unable to think of what to do. After a moment, she hesitantly held Lucia. 

"Mama told me she hoped you would stay with her, after you were done adventuring. I think she likes you," Lucia whispered conspiratorially. 

Kjona stood and laughed nervously. "I said no such thing."

The woman - Mjoll, Serana guessed - rolled her eyes and went back into the kitchen. "Our evening meal is almost done, Kjona. You made it just in time."

"Lucky me," Kjona muttered. She put a hand on Lucia's shoulder. "Are you all right with Serana staying with us a while?"

Lucia beamed up at Kjona. "She can stay!"

Kjona grinned and wrapped an arm around her daughter's shoulders as best she could. She crouched once more to get a better hold, Serana doing the same. Lucia embraced both of them, holding onto them tight. 

Kjona mouthed over Lucia's shoulder, _She's a hugger._

Serana smiled and mouthed back, _I noticed._

But Serana couldn't find it in herself to care. For the first time in what felt like millennia, she didn't care that she was being held uncomfortably against a child and her mother. 

No. If anything, this is what she had been missing. 

Serana closed her eyes and savored the feeling. _This is where I belong._

**Author's Note:**

> And now, to the next installment... 
> 
> This was more just a little chapter to keep you all occupied while I work on the next major part, which should be out next week. I don't need to be finished with the outline to start writing it, but I need to be a few chapters ahead. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! Feedback is always welcome! 
> 
> Any questions/concerns you might have, you can talk to me on my Tumblr, spicy-dinosaur-age.tumblr.com


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